President of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto Djojohadikusumo, visited India from January 23 to 26, 2025, at the invitation of Prime Minister (PM) of India Narendra Modi. This visit marked his 1st bilateral trip to India commemorating the 75th Anniversary of India-Indonesia Diplomatic Relations.
- On January 26 2025, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto Djojohadikusumo attended the 76th Republic Day celebration of India as the Chief Guest held at Kartavya Path, New Delhi (Delhi). He was the 4th Indonesian leader to be honoured as India’s Republic Day Chief Guest.
- This marks the 1st time, a 190-member ensemble band from the Indonesian Military Academy (Akmil), and a 152-personnel marching contingent from Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) participated in the Republic Day Parade in India.
Highlights of the visit:
Key Meetings:
i.During his visit, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto held bilateral discussions with Narendra Modi, PM of India and Droupadi Murmu, President of India.
ii.He also held meetings with Vice President (VP) Jagdeep Dhankhar and External Affairs Minister (EAM) Dr. S. Jaishankar.
- Both countries reviewed bilateral cooperation in several fields, including politics, defence, security and trade.
3rd India-Indonesia Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) Forum:
i.On January 25 2025, the 3rd India-Indonesia Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) Forum held in New Delhi on the sidelines of the Indonesian President’s visit to India.
- The forum was co-chaired by Ajay Shriram of India and Anindya Novyan Bakrie of Indonesia.
ii.During the event, the co-chairs presented the joint report to EAM Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, India and Sugiono, Foreign Minister of Indonesia in the presence of the Indian PM Narendra Modi and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto to strengthen economic ties and develop bilateral cooperation in trade and investment.
iii.This joint statement outlining five key sectors of business priority: healthcare, food and agriculture, manufacturing, energy, and technology.
India-Indonesia Signed MoUs and Cooperation Agreements:
The visit of Indonesian President to India witnessed the signing and renewal of five Memorandums of Understandings (MoUs) covering diverse areas such as health, traditional medicine, and maritime security.
i.The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), India and the Ministry of Health, Indonesia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Health Cooperation.
ii.A renewal of the MoU on Maritime Safety and Security Cooperation has been established between the Indian Coast Guard(ICG) and Badan Keamanan Laut Republik (BAKAMLA) (the Indonesian Maritime Security Agency), Indonesia.
iii.The Pharmacopoeia Commission for Indian Medicine & Homeopathy (PCIM&H), Ministry of AYUSH(Ayurveda, Yoga, and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homoeopathy), India and the Indonesian Food and Drug Authority have signed an MoU in the field of Traditional Medicine Quality Assurance (QA).
iv.An MoU on Cooperation in the Fields of Digital Development has been signed between the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology(MeitY), India and the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs, Indonesia.
v.A Cultural Exchange Program between the Ministry of Culture, MoC (India) and the Ministry of Culture(Indonesia), was also signed for the time period 2025-2028.
India-Indonesia Strengthen Defence and Maritime Cooperation:
i.Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA): India and Indonesia ratified the DCA to enhance defence collaboration, focusing on modernization and sharing expertise.
ii.Joint Defence Cooperation Committee (JDCC): The JDCC continue to drive bilateral defence cooperation and initiatives, with regular meetings and coordination between Defence Ministers.
iii.Naval and Military Exercises: Both countries are engaged in biannual India-Indonesia Coordinated Patrol, as well as joint exercises like Ex Garuda Shakti (Army) and Ex Samudra Shakti (Naval).
- They also participate in multilateral exercises like Milan, Komodo, Tarang Shakti, and Super Garuda Shield.
iv.Cadet and Defence Education Exchanges: Agreements for cadet exchanges between their Naval Academies and Defence Universities, to deepen educational cooperation.
v.Maritime Security Cooperation: The two countries are committed to ensuring secure sea lanes, with mutual interest in Hydrography and Submarine Search and Rescue cooperation.
- They are also engaged in White Shipping Information Exchange (WSIE) agreements and have agreed to station an Indonesian International Liaison Officer (ILO) at the Information Fusion Centre-Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) in Gurugram, Haryana India.
vi.Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism Cooperation: Both countries have pledged to combat terrorism and prevent online radicalization.They support mechanisms to counter extremist ideologies and agreed to renew the MoU on Counter-Terrorism Cooperation.
- The ‘6th Joint Working Group Meeting on Counter-Terrorism’ was held in Jakarta, Indonesia on 23 August 2024.
vii.Regional Maritime Safety: Both nations will continue to cooperate on maritime safety and security in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore (SOMS) to ensure unhindered economic growth in the region.
About Indonesia:
President- Prabowo Subianto Djojohadikusumo
Capital- Jakarta
Currency- Indonesian Rupiah (IDR)
